The Other Hale
by Epiphannie
Summary: The story of how Rosalie came to accept love and cherish the gift of her life…eternal life. All canon plus one new character - Rose's little sister Hazel, who is the catalyst for her change. A sweet and triumphant tale. Reworked from my original postings.
1. Prologue Hazel

**Prologue A/N - Hi all!**

**To all who have read this story so far, thank you so much for your continued support. I am re-vamping (ha! no pun intended) a few things and generally making the story more interesting to read. (Or at least that's what I think.) But I have deep love for Hazel, and her character isn't changing. She just has a more defined purpose in the story now…**

**The story will utilize a series of flashbacks, to introduce you to Hazel and explore the other Cullens little by little, so hang in there!**

**Special Thanks to my 2 faithful reviewers! Click on my reviews and then check them out- you will be so glad you did!**

**Obviously, Stephenie Meyer's brilliant characters will live on in her head and forever be hers. It's an honor to share them with her, but I make no claim on them. All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. Cheers to her for creating a world brilliant enough that we all would want to borrow it for a bit longer.**

**So here it is. The story of how Rosalie came to accept love and cherish the gift of her eternal life.**

PROLOGUE

June 6, 1941

Rochester, NY

(Rosalie POV)

It had been 8 years since I had seen her last. In retrospect, with some 80 years of immortality under my belt, 8 years is just a drop in the bucket. But at the time, those years had felt like my eternity. They had been a long, drawn-out, and very human-feeling 8 years.

"Hazel," I whispered longingly under my breath, never breaking my gaze from the little girl. I immediately felt both the pitiful grimace and the confused stare of my brother and my husband converge on me. Edward knew who Hazel was, both from hearing my mind and knowing my human family. But I had never spoken of her, or the rest of my family, aloud. Not since the day I woke up from my transformation into this despicable life. So it was that Emmett knew nothing of the family I had before this. I suppose Edward was more of a gentleman than I gave him credit for; he had apparently respected my silence and said nothing of my past to my Emmett.

It was Emmett who spoke first, cautiously. "You know her?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing, consternation coloring his flawless face.

"Yes." was all I could manage to sigh. Emmett inhaled, as if to speak again. Quickly, and without looking away from _her_, I touched my fingers to his mouth to quiet him. His quizzical look trained then on Edward, seeking some explanation for my sudden softness. I had still yet to show him my sentimental nature.

I took several quick steps forward to clarify what I knew I was seeing. As if my perfect vampire vision would somehow betray me in the face of what lay before me. The light of my human life, the pretty little thing who had been just four years old when my humanity was ripped from me, lay crumpled and dying before my eyes.

Emmett caught up to me then, stubbornly refusing to be sensitive to the emotional atmosphere around him, and pressed his question again. "You know her, Rose?"

The last exhale I could manage left him with the one piece of information I had been determined to spend eternity without divulging. "She's my baby sister." And with that, I raced away, as fast as my vampire legs could carry me, to no particular place at all.


	2. Memories

**A/N – Hello all!**

**Thanks for continuing on! I hope the story is engaging you so far. I'd love to hear what you think! What did you love? What did you hate?**

**I just need to make a quick explanation for something. Rose and Emmett compelled me to use the vernacular of their time, and in the 20s and 30s, people used the phrase "Cash or Check" to ask a loved one if he/she would kiss him/her either now or later. So if they happen to use this phrase, please don't be offended, thinking a price is being negotiated for any time spent together…catch my drift? c: Also, this chapter has some romantic scenes, along with some violence and mature language... Nothing overdone, I don't think, but if you are a youngin', maybe just skip to Hazel's POV…(If you're a youngin', you shouldn't even be reading this in the first place…its rated M…)**

**Also- in the interest of not being sued, anything you read that resembles a well-known brand you may have ever encountered (Twilight characters, Pippi Longstockings, etc) doesn't belong to me! Don't sue me; I'm broke!**

**Chapter One**

(Rosalie POV)

June 6, 2007

Forks, WA

As I sat in my favorite seat at the southern glass wall of our home in Forks, overlooking the majestic beauty of the forest at dusk, I reflected on the day's significance. Today had marked the 66th year since I reunited with Hazel, welcoming her into our immortal family. Admittedly, I had been very upset about it then. I still struggled with the fact that we have subjected her to a lonely, immortal, forever-twelve existence.

I forced the dark memory of that night, 66 years ago, into clarity inside my mind. The flame of bitterness was once again ignited within me as I forced myself to remember every bit of that horrible night. There were two horrific memories that I systematically relived in my head; only two I cared about enough, two that had fundamentally changed who I am, two that warranted the torture I would endure to hold on. I couldn't let go, I just couldn't…One of them was my own bloody death, and the other- dangerously reminiscent of my demise- was Hazel's…

Emmett, myself, and Edward had been running through the forests of Rochester, very close to my childhood home, on June 6, 1941. A week prior to this trip, Carlisle had decreed that I was finally stable enough in this life to visit the human life I missed so dearly without losing myself completely. It was agreed that I would spend some time in the area, absorbing what I had left behind, and leave after a day. It was to be my final goodbye to Rochester and my human life. Carlisle said I needed closure, and hoped that my return to Rochester would provide just that.

On that cool summer evening, we ran through the forest, absorbing the atmosphere of the trails that I surely wandered as a child. Suddenly, we heard someone speak 200 yards away from us.

"Ah, my future bride!" a slithery, sweet voice- which reminded me all too much of Aro- said. If my body could have produced shivers, it would have. "It's a bit dark for you to be wandering in the forest by yourself, don't you agree?"

I heard someone open their mouth and inhale as if to speak, but they were cut off before any sound could be produced. "Of course you agree. From now on, you agree with everything I say." Venom seeped into the young, menacingly sweet voice.

"I was just out taking a walk, clearing my head. This was a lot for me to take in today and-" the sound of her voice- young, also, but familiar in a strange way- was cut off as we heard a hand slice through the air and crack down upon flesh. My hands clenched to fists as the girl shrieked, and I froze in place, unable to move. My husband and my brother stood silently, waiting for what was to come.

"I don't recall asking you to speak. Did your mother never teach you how to be a good bride?" the venomous voice hissed. "Oh who am I kidding? That rat probably doesn't even know, herself." He spat acidic threats and accusations for a minute longer as he continued to deal out several harder blows. "Now you listen here; this morning our fathers agreed that we would be married in 5 years' time. I don't know what in God's name made them think that I would stand for an arranged marriage, not in 1941. But I'm not big enough to fight off my father, and if I don't do what he wants, I'll be left out of the inheritance. So you're lucky you're pretty. At least you'll be good for one thing." We heard him hit her several times again, and the girl whimpered in between each blow and insult.

I looked at Edward and Emmett then. We knew that we could not get involved. I had to suppress the horrors that were flooding my memory, begging me to avenge the behavior before me. I had to be serious; we couldn't save everyone. But something about that girl's voice was so familiar. Drawing me in to come find it.

I closed my eyes and sifted through my head to match the voice with a fuzzy memory. I tried to remember what the voices of my family had sounded like. Surely this voice was far too young to be my mother's. And I couldn't imagine, either, that my father would have treated her like this. I tried hard to recall any details of their relationship, but even their faces were hard to find in my memory. But these voices couldn't be theirs, anyhow- they were already married- so I moved on in my memory-search. All that kept coming up in my mind was a picture of a younger version of me. The voice sounded just exactly like mine had, right around the age of 12. But who did I know in Rochester that was 12?

"Now step into the moonlight in between these trees and show me what you look like" the menace commanded. It was silent- no sign of any compliance from the girl. Another vicious blow, followed by another whimper, rang through the night. "Do it! I'm your betrothed, damn it, and you will do as I say!" He hit the girl three more times before she had a chance to respond.

"Hunter, look there! A mountain lion!" she said in a weak but determined voice. I detected her heart rate increase as she lied to him, and I heard soft footsteps accelerate in my direction. Her gentle running was followed by a moment of silence, then his heavy footfalls. In a matter of seconds, he caught up with her. We heard clothes ripping, garbled screaming, and a few more violent blows. They were less than 100 yards away now.

"How dare you try to run from me. I'm a King, and no one toys with the Kings."

My eyes flew open as I heard that name. I did some calculations in my head. Based on the age she was when I turned, how old she would be now, the fact that she sounded identical to me, and the fact that she was associated- by force- with the Kings…it had to be her. This wasn't my voice we were hearing, but the voice of my little sister.

Edward immediately picked up on my thoughts. Fearing that I was right, he ran to the scene and scaled a tree 50 feet from where the humans were. I followed slowly, a frightened zombie, with Emmett trailing behind me cautiously and confused.

As my eyes registered the scene before me, I let her name slip from my lips. I had tried so hard, for 8 long years, to avoid any discussion of my former life. But it seemed now that, having inadvertently stumbled across this on my quest to zip up my past and throw away the key, those efforts would be in vain.

I did the only thing I could think to do. I ran. No longer an inward manifestation of escaping from my problems, I literally ran away from everything. It was just too much to handle. I didn't know where I was going, or if I could even bring myself to face my Cullen family again. I just ran through the woods aimlessly, for two whole days. If I had only known what was awaiting me when I finally made my way back home.

At the time, Emmett had understood little of what was happening, much less the significance of it all. All he knew was that I was born and raised in Rochester and had been the resident beauty of the town. Although he had been my saving grace in an otherwise pitiful existence, I hadn't been able to tell him of my past yet. It had been too painful to talk about. Although I had forced the horrible memory of my human end into my mind every day, I had not been ready to admit to any of it aloud, and discussing any human link would surely have lead to an explanation of the hideous scene of my death.

So when he learned of the existence of my little sister- and shortly after, saw her near-murder at the hands of Royce King's monster of a younger brother, Hunter- Emmett did the only thing he could think of. He saved my little sister for me. He misunderstood my leaving, and later confessed to me that he thought I had run ahead to alert Carlisle. In the heat of the moment, before Edward could warn him against it, Emmett picked Hazel up, used every reserve of strength in his body to bite her, and then raced home to care for her during her firey transformation.

Edward had warned Emmett when he caught up that I would be irate. My relationship with Emmett until that point had been solely physical. No words were needed, really, we just fit together perfectly and there was no question. Thus I had not yet shared my truest feelings with my husband on the topic of immortality, so he didn't understand that subjecting another person- a member of my family, no less- to this fate would be more than counterproductive where my happiness was concerned.

Edward had unfortunately underestimated my level of anger, so no Cullen had been prepared for the wrath that ensued upon my return. I was much more than simply irate. I kicked and screamed, breaking precious antiques, and even ripping body parts off family members. Carlisle, finally understanding how I felt toward what he had subjected me to, sobbed tearlessly in the corner, while Esme spoke soothing words and Emmett and Edward restrained me. It had been a shame that Alice and Jasper were still roaming the South somewhere…I could have used Jasper's calming influence during those first few days when the adjustment to our new addition was the worst.

After ten days writhing in agony and anger over the transformation of Hazel, I finally composed myself enough to meet her. Esme informed me that she was aware of her new life, and her connection to me. The news had been difficult for her to take, and her words had thus far been few. The little that Esme and Carlisle had been able to get out of her was that she missed our parents but was relieved to still be a part of a family, and was also very nervous that I wouldn't like her. Esme, in all her compassion, had urged me to meet her and dispel that fear as soon as possible. I hadn't been sure if I could…

Emmett visited me often during those ten agonizing days of adjustment. I wouldn't let him stay for more than and hour at a time. I didn't crave or even enjoy his touch, which was a true indicator of my deep despair. But nevertheless, he came all the time, not only to comfort me, but also to tell me about her. She did not experience bloodlust as greatly as we all had upon our transformation. In the ten days that I stayed away from her, Emmett had only taken her hunting twice, and she had gone with Esme three other times. She was exceptionally well-controlled for a newborn- especially one changed at the tender age of twelve, but Esme said it was because she was mostly in shock, moving and speaking very little. She mostly sat in the corner, facing out toward the living room, with her mouth slightly open and her eyes fixed in a distant stare. She sat on the rocking chair, hugging her knees and hunching her shoulders, rocking back and forth as if to sooth herself. Every once in a while, I could hear as she hummed a tune that was haunting and familiar.

So, after ten long days of hiding, I finally met her. I descended the staircase and gripped the large newel post, depending on it to stay steady as I met her gaze. And, like I was the light she had been waiting on to drag her from this nightmare, she ran to me and hugged me so tight that she cracked my right hipbone. I barely even noticed, as the pain that she had caused was nothing in comparison to the pain coursing through me at the sight of her. Not only did a fresh wave of sorrow come for my human life that I could never have back, but I also experienced anew the guilt I felt for having brought her into this despicable immortal existence. The pain, coupled with the lack of support on the right side of my body, crumpled me to a heap on the floor. Hazel stood by, taking it all in stride, as Carlisle rushed me to the couch to set my hip before it could heal incorrectly. She approached me from the side, and reached out to take my hand. In that instant, when our eyes met, I could see the sincere hope she had for the future. I remember praying that this hope would somehow touch me; that I could somehow welcome it in…

I caught a glimpse of my twisted expression in the glass and was pulled from the past. Hard as I tried to remain stone-faced, my emotions betrayed me, but I found a measure of solace in that, even in turmoil, I was the picture of perfection. Suddenly I felt Emmett's big hands caressing my shoulders. I sincerely doubted he was here to attend to my mood, but the one thing he wanted was sure to lure me in. Thank goodness the rest of the family had gone hunting. If I couldn't have true happiness tonight, then at least I could have the next best thing…Emmett.

"Cash or check, baby?" He smiled as he brought his face nearer mine. We had never let go of the vernacular of the 20's, especially in intimate moments, which made this scene exceptionally socially inappropriate, given today's understanding of our words, but oh so fun.

"Mmm…cash" I smiled back as I took his face in my hands and began to close the gap between our bodies.

In that moment, I heard Hazel's voice ringing in my mind. I started. I thought she had gone on the hunting trip with the others, and I hadn't heard evidence to prove otherwise. I suppose it was easy to become lost in Emmett's firm embrace…

I hesitated, leaning my head into Emmett's burly chest. "Make that a check," I pouted, and then dutifully answered my little sister.

***

(Hazel POV)

6:42pm

June 6, 2007

Dear Mama,

It's me, Hazel Jane Hale, your baby girl. It's been so long since I last wrote. I thought you might have forgotten me.

How is life where you are? I can only imagine that you're in Heaven. But I wonder what you do there all day, every day. Are you with Papa? Do you think of Rosalie? Do you think of me?

We miss you here, but we are doing very well. Rose and Emmett are madly in love, and will always be, I suppose. He's tamed her, Mama. More than you could imagine. (But still not enough for some peoples' liking! Poor Edward. And poorer Bella!) And I, well, I'm well cared for. There aren't many other twelve-year-old vampires running around, so I suppose I'll never really have a mate. Carlisle says I wouldn't be emotionally ready, anyhow, and I'm sure you and Papa would agree. But the family makes sure I'm always tended and entertained. Rose, especially, watches over me. She is so much like you, Mama. And she continues to dote on me and care for me just like when we were human with you. Of course Alice is wonderful, and the rest of the Cullens sublime. But Rose, she's the best big sister I could ever ask for, Mama.

And although I may never find a mate, much to my dismay, it's far from the worst thing to have an abundance of love in one's life. Even if it's purely familial love, and not the romantic type. I guess I don't know what I'm missing, and it's better that way.

So, last time I wrote, it was 2002 and I was having difficulty fitting in at middle school. That has since been resolved. I now attend high school with all my siblings, posing as a child genius. You always said I was too smart for my own good… I'm playing a 10 year-old prodigy, which is entirely believable, given the levels of intelligence in this household. Regardless of the fact that, as a vampire, I am more coordinated and better educated than any person in my school could ever hope to be, we have to play the part. So Esme comes with me to be my note-taker. Of course, Esme insists that I pay attention and play the model student, so I can't even goof off or pass notes like I might with my older siblings. But once Rose graduates, she will come with me instead of Esme. I love spending time with my adopted mother, please don't misunderstand, but the idea of getting to spend whole days with Rosalie fills me with happiness. I know a lot of people think Rose is very unpleasant- and frankly, sometimes she can be- but she has always been and will always be my big sister, and I will always love her for that.

Well, I suppose that's all for now, Mama. It's been a long 66 years, and I miss you. I hope you think of me as I do you. Tell Papa I say hello. And tell Heaven we're doing our best. Rosalie sends her love, of course, though she may not be able to express it to you like this.

Your true and faithful daughter,

Hazel

I put the pen down and set my journal aside. It had been a gift from Edward, and the thought of his love for me warmed me. I had never been able to erase the sadness that I felt over the loss of my human family, and there had been one particularly bad month, about 50 years ago, when I was completely overtaken with sadness. Following that dark time in my history, Edward gave me this journal, explaining that when he missed his human family he would write letters to them. Of course I could never send my letters; Mama and Papa were long in the ground. But somehow I believed that they got my messages. I sensed that Rosalie thought my methods were foolish, but Edward assured me she was just jealous that she couldn't bring herself to believe, as I did, that those letters were heard. I thought he may be trying to simply appease me, but in the interest of making things easy, I chose to accept what he said.

Sick of feeling lonely and sad, I decided it was time to involve some other family members in my evening. Preferably some fun ones.

_Rosalie_. _I need you, Rosie, please. And Emmett, too_. I sent my thoughts into Rose's head. One of the coolest perks of my vampire life was my special ability to infuse my thoughts in the heads of others. Sort of the opposite of Edward's gift, I could share my thoughts with anyone I chose to, whether or not they were willing participants, as long as they were in a hundred-mile radius. Unlike Edward's gift, however, mine had a very purposeful process. I had to be willing to share the thought in order for it to transmit. Like I was the operator, deciding whose line would be tapped.

I could hear her sigh quietly, seemingly deciding whether or not to answer. She mumbled something about a check, then responded. "What, baby?" Rose called nonchalantly up the stairs. I was underwhelmed by the lack of enthusiasm in her response.

_I'm not a baby_, I coolly reminded her, _just come here, 'kay? Both of you. _She and Emmett must have been in the middle of something. It was unusual for her not to rush to my side when I needed her…unless she and Emmett were otherwise involved.

I heard Rose chuckle, and could imagine the smile on her face as she would drag her finger along Emmett's shoulder and across his rippling bicep, and invite him upstairs with a coy smile. Eww, gag me. I was lucky that they usually felt the need to restrain themselves in front of me. Usually. Thank goodness for our good, old-fashioned upbringing. Mama and Papa never let us see them like that.

Rose arrived at my room not two seconds later, with Emmett a few seconds behind her. "Hey Kiddo!" Emmett boomed excitedly from the stairs. He always spoke to me as if he were seeing me for the first time in three years. God bless him and his energy…

"What is it, sweetheart?" my sister asked me as she reached my doorway alone. 'Again with the "sweethearts"?' I thought to myself as I rolled my eyes. I was careful not to transmit the thought, but Rose caught the eye roll, and I suspected she understood it, too. Even so, she just continued to smile her motherly smile as she walked over and sat beside me on the bed.

"I'm bored. Will you braid my hair? You always do such a nice job, and it's simply a wreck today, what with the humidity and all." I blinked, smiling sweetly. I knew how to be very, very charming when necessary. It's kind of the gift of the family baby.

Rosalie's eyes widened a bit, then she grimaced. "Sweetie, isn't it your night with Edward?" Rose asked nervously. "Emmett and I were just about to" pause "uh, start a game of chess…" I heard Emmett chuckle in response to that as he rounded the corner to my room.

"Rosalie," I admonished, with a hint of condescending sweetness, a tone I picked up from Rosalie, herself, "I may be forever frozen at twelve, but I wasn't born yesterday. You don't even play chess."

"I'm taking it up."

"Well, whatever. I really don't care to know the details." I dismissed her ridiculous lie. "Yes, it is my night with Edward," I sighed, "but he had to go after Bella again. I'm sure she's injured or sad or something. I told him I would be fine, and said it would be okay for him to leave. But then Carlisle went to work and everyone else decided to go hunting, and my backup plan went right out the window."

Although I had clearly interrupted something, and Emmett and Rosalie's love for each other was intense and hard to put on hold, Emmett was always looking for new experiences. So what we heard next was only slightly surprising.

"I'll braid your hair, munchkin. If Rosie will teach me, that is…" Emmett wielded his puppy dog eyes at Rose. She had no choice but to give into that face. I knew I could count on Emmett to lighten the mood. Who knew he would ever take to braiding hair. "So what'dya say, muchy-kins?" He asked again, too eager for his own good.

It was one of my little-sisterly duties to put up with all the nicknames and references to my young age that I hated so much, but this particular nickname I loathed above all the rest. "Really, Em?" I shot him a dirty glare. "Munchkin? I thought I put a cease and desist on that one back in '92."

"Hey, Pippi Longstockings," he countered, "Do you want your hair braided or not?!"

I rolled my eyes, as per usual when bickering with Emmett. It was all out of love, of course. "Okay, fine. But if I'm a munchkin, what does that make you?! The Jolly Green Giant?" I smirked.

"As you wish, Sprout!" He squinted his eyes and scrunched up his nose, smiling his famous sarcastic smile, and ruffling the hair that he seriously wanted to braid. "Go get your hairbrush."

I retrieved my hairbrush from my cavernous bathroom at top vampire speed, sincerely looking forward to Emmett's upcoming lesson in hairstyling. On my way back into the room, I grabbed my camera as well. Alice would never forgive me if she didn't have someway of witnessing this.

It didn't surprise me when Rose reached out to take the hairbrush from me right away and positioned me, sitting pretzel-style, on the floor in front of her. She first combed her slender fingers through my hair, just as our mother used to do with us before bed each night. Then, she smoothed the hairbrush through my hair for one hundred even strokes, punctuating ever tenth stroke with a kiss on my forehead. This, too, was just as our mother had done for us when we were human sisters. Most memories from those days were foggy. But this memory, kept alive by Rosalie for so many years, was as clear as day.

When she had brushed one hundred strokes through my hair, we both paused and sat in silence for a while. Probably both enjoying the peace of our human memories.

Emmett broke us from our reverie, failing to absorb the mood of the room, as was typical for him. He could really take some lessons from Jasper!

"So what do I do first?! Huh? Huh? Tell me! Tell me!" Emmett's loud voice boomed. Although I would have enjoyed living in my foggy memories for a bit longer, as I'm certain was also the case for Rosalie, Emmett's childish enthusiasm for all things new was refreshing and entertaining, and had me and Rose giggling before we had time to be upset.


	3. Braiding

**A/N Hi all!**

**Emmett braids hair, Hazel grants Alice a gift, and the ladies prepare for an extravagant shopping trip…**

**I don't own and of the canon Twilight characters, Porsche, Jimmy Choo, or any other popular brand that may be stated explicitly or alluded to. So don't sue. And PLEASE REVIEW! You can help this story grow!**

It really was quite entertaining listening to Emmett learn how to braid hair. He understood the concept right away, what with his superior vampire abilities, (I'm confident that as a human, he would not have fared quite so well) but the execution seemed to be talking a while to master. He couldn't hold all the hair tight enough to get a neat looking braid. All we had to show after 34 honest tries were loose braided pigtails that had a slightly crooked part. It was precious.

"Okay, I give up. I guess I'm not meant to braid hair." Emmett sighed. "Anyhow, I have a date with the couch and ESPN. Now. So, I'll see you later.

After Emmett ventured downstairs to watch the game and Rose fixed his sloppy braiding job, we hurried down to the cars. We were surprising Alice with a brand new yellow Porsche, just like the one she had driven in Italy recently. Well, actually, Edward was surprising her with it, in return for some favor she was to do for him related to Bella. But it was Rose's job to get the engine going faster, which meant adapting a V12 to a space intended for a V8. Cars weren't really my thing, but Emmett wasn't here to be the jack, and I needed someone to follow anyhow. So, like many times before, we worked together quietly but contently in the big garage. I didn't mind helping Rosalie for Alice, as Alice was my favorite non-related sibling. We were both girlie girls, and I was like her own personal doll. She loved to dress me up and make me over. Shopping trips with her were my favorite. And when we stole Rose and Esme and had Girl's Days Out, there was practically nothing in the world I loved more.

As car oil seeped out from above me, spilling across my knuckles after finding its way under my fingernails, I remembered that I was due for my weekly manicure. Alice had better come back early from hunting to take care of that, I thought to myself. I doubted she would forget, though. Never in all my years had I seen her forget any appointment related to beauty or fashion.

As Rosalie tinkered with the engine, doing things I could never hope nor would ever aspire to understand, I yelled my thoughts out to Alice from my head. _Alice, I hope you didn't forget about our appointment! I'm in dire need of my manicure, so you better hurry home!_ Sure enough, as I finished my thoughts to her, she came right through the front door.

"I'm right here, you don't have to shout, Hazy. Sheesh!" Alice took one step closer to the garage as she greeted me.

"Stop! Don't come any closer!" Rosalie yelled at her in a panic.

"Relax, Rose. I know I'm not allowed in there. Edward told me to stay out of the garage for a week." she assured Rose. "You must be working on something pretty big in there, huh?" Alice stayed in the living room while she talked, but we could hear her inching forward. "Or maybe something small…and very sporty?" I could hear her grin widening as she tried in vain to confirm her suspicions.

"Not a chance, Alice. You'll find out when Edward is good and ready for you to find out." Rosalie playfully shot back, then turned to me. "Go, Hazel," she instructed me. "Can you keep her off my back for a while? And send Emmett in here. Tell him just to record the game, I need a jack!"

_I'll do what I can, but Alice will be Alice. Love you. See you later_, I thought to Rose. She looked up at me with a quick smile, and then went right back to work, just as Papa's custom had been. It was always funny to me to see that, after so many years, you really do become your parents.

I was in the living room less than a second later. I went to reach for Alice's hand to pull her away from the garage and upstairs with me. She quickly pulled away, and frowned when she looked at my oily fingers. "Haven't I asked you a million times to stay out of the garage?! Do you want to ruin your pretty nails? Don't you know that they don't grow back?" She asked, exasperated. She would never dream of putting her hand under the body of a vehicle, even a shiny yellow Porsche. "And don't touch me with those dirty paws. This is a new dress. Respect the couture."

"Sorry Alice," I giggled. It was all I could manage to get out without spilling the secret right then and there. We couldn't wait to see the look on her face when Edward finally revealed her new car…Although she must have already known what the future held. Was Edward staying undecided on the date of gifting?

Alice hurried me in the house after a quick pause near the garage and a shouted greeting to Rose. I thought I saw the hint of a smile pulling at her lips. She definitely knew…

I flitted up to Alice's huge bathroom, skipping over the nail polish cabinet completely, and went right to my seat at the vanity. Just like always, Alice had used her special ability to know which color I would choose this week and already had it set out on the counter in front of me. Ahh, the perfect shade of bubblegum pink. Whenever something was getting me down, I could always count on a lively color to cheer me up. Alice had either foreseen the mood behind the color choice, or it was just still plain on my face, but when she entered the bathroom, she closed the door and asked right away if everything was okay.

It was very easy, in this house, to get sick of the constantly protective vibe everyone seemed to display over me. I was the consummate little sister. Everyone's pet, whom they dressed up, dragged around, scolded, advised, counseled, adored…I really did appreciate all the love and concern. But sometimes it was just too difficult to tell your problems over and over again. I generally picked only one person and one time for sharing my concerns. Then, I let them go.

"Yeah, I'm okay, now." I answered in response to Alice's question. "I was a little sad before, thinking of Mama. But now I'm fine."

A quiet "Oh" was all Alice could manage in response. I knew she felt jealous of our memories from the human years. And it often confused her that those memories could make me sad. She had explained to me once that to have any memories at all from her human years would be so exciting that the joy of being able to remember would outweigh any pain that the memories held. I sincerely doubted that would be true if she ever did find a way to remember, but I held my tongue. After all, it was Alice, and her world usually generated the opposite result of what was expected, anyhow.

Looking to return to a mutually agreeable conversation, I decided to propose a project I had been thinking about for a while- a total wardrobe replacement. She'd be putty in my hands, I tell you, putty in my hands.

"So, Alice. Lately I've been thinking. It's been seasons since we last overhauled my wardrobe completely, and-" She cut me off, squealing in delight, before I could even finish the sentence.

"I've been waiting for you to ask!" Alice beamed from ear to ear, jumping up and down and clapping her hands. I didn't think she'd have been looking out for this, but I should have known that Alice would have seen this coming. "I already got Esme's approval. We've even planned the trip. It's been a while since we had a Cullen Family Shopping Bonanza, so all the girls will go. It's overcast in Milan all next week. Buckle your seatbelt and strap on your Jimmy Choo's, little lady. You're in for a wild ride!"

_Did you and Rose plan this together?_ I chimed over to Alice. It was usually Rose's idea to go shopping in Milan. The thing she hated most was when some mundane human was seen in the same dress as her, and the greatest way to prevent that was to shop outside of the U.S. Even if only .05% of the American population even owned couture, we almost never ran into the 'who wore it best' dilemma if large portions of our wardrobes were from Italy.

"Yes!" Alice answered. "She's been wanting to for some time, but we didn't want to offend you by suggesting you needed an overhaul. I saw last week that your plans to ask me were firming up, so we planned it all together last Wednesday."

_I see. Well, I'm not at all offended! Thanks for planning it for us. _ I sent my thoughts to her again. I could have spoken aloud, she was right next to me. But ever since I found I had the power to transmit my thoughts to people 65 years ago, it's been my preferred method of communication. And I go between transmitting thoughts and speaking aloud like a bilingual person mixes languages while talking. "When are we leaving?"

"Well, it's Sunday today, and Esme will be finished drafting the plans for your new and improved closet, for your new and improved wardrobe, in two more days. Then she has to run to Portland to order the supplies and hire the contractor. So we'll go Thursday."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, Alice! A new closet? And a girl's trip? This will be so wonderful! Two whole weeks? I better go pack!" Now it was I who was squealing in delight.

"Hold on there, slugger. Two things: First, I already packed for you." She gestured over to seven large Bergdorf bags in the corner of the bathroom with an impish smile crossing her face.

"Alice! You bought me clothes for going to buy more clothes?" I laughed. "You really are something else." I rolled my eyes and smiled, playfully punching her shoulder. "So what is the second thing?" I asked curiously. I had no idea where she was going with this.

"Hello?" She asked in disbelief. "We only have one coat on these little nails, and I haven't even started your feet yet! Now, sit back down and let me work, Hazy!"

---------------------------------------------------------

(Rosalie POV)

"Hazel Jane, come see me for a moment, please" I said from my room. She was downstairs playing some noisy video game with Emmett. I never understood the draw of the video game. _What's up?_ her voice rang through my mind. Ugh, I detested the sloppy vernacular and lazy attitude of these times. Hazel clung to it wholeheartedly, and her special ability only facilitated her laziness. Only 66 short years ago, she would have been required to report to me immediately and respectfully, and now all I get is a 'what's up?' Where have her manners gone? If she ever pulled that with Mama, she'd be sore the next day, and we both knew that from experience.

"Come here now" I said, much firmer than before. Her insolence irritated me, and I was ready to give her a stern talking to, but then she came through my door. Her pretty little faced beamed like she was excited to see me, and my world melted, just like every time I saw her. She had me wrapped around her finger and there wasn't a thing I could do about it. My world revolved around keeping her safe and happy. It revolved around Emmett, too, of course. But there was room for both; my heart grew tremendously on the day Hazel came back into my life.

It hadn't been difficult, in my human life, to imagine the love a mother feels for her child and to understand the sacrifices and pain a mother goes through in order to protect her child and teach it well. But having Hazel here with me, and attempting to fill the void left in her by the loss of our mother, I realize that I knew nothing then compared to the knowledge I have now, and the feeling of truly playing the role of mother. This made me yearn even more for my own little child. I could mother Hazel until the end of time, and I would forever be grateful for that. But it's still not the same as having a wonderful little person that I created, and teaching that little one about life and love. Olivfe. That's the secret name I have reserved for that little person that I want so badly to be mine. I have only ever thought it to myself. Edward may be familiar with the name, as I'm sure he's heard me repeat it over and over in my head. But as far as I know, he has no idea what it means. He's never asked. He doesn't know that, in those letters, the words love and life can be spelled. And the name, like the olive branch, symbolizes peace. Everything I would hope for that child of my own is represented in that beautiful name. Olivfe…Olivfe…

"Umm, did you need me, Rose?" Hazel brought me out of my reverie. "My game is on pause, and I think Em is getting antsy."

"Yes, darling. Finish your game please, and then we're going hunting. We're going to be in boutiques for weeks, and you need to be very safe around the humans." I shuddered, remembering her first shopping trip. True, it had been many years ago, and she hadn't been used to the vegetarian lifestyle then. But there was no sense in taking risks.

They wrapped up their game within minutes of Hazel returning to the living room, and we were on our way out the door.

"Em, babe, do you want to come?" I asked my husband.

"No. Jasper and I are going to start a new game. Hazel just unlocked a few more songs for us, and I have some serious drumming skills that I need to perfect. Have fun without me!" He boomed back. Oh Emmett…

…

It never ceased to amaze me, watching my little sister hunt. She was so small, just like I had been at her age. If she'd had lived a few more years, she'd have blossomed into a beautiful figure like mine. But skinny, knobby knees aside, she had a grace about her that swans would kill for. As she leapt out of a patch of ferns, her long dress flowing freely behind her, she stopped a bobcat smoothly in its tracks. The way she made such a primal event so poised and delicate sent a wave of tranquility over me. She had inherited my looks, which pleased me to no end, but she had something extra that was mesmerizing. She had something even I didn't have. And that was very hard to admit.

As I stood there watching my little sister, I caught a scent on the breeze. Grizzly. Hazel noticed it, too, and we dashed toward the bears. Within seconds, we were draining the bears together. Emmett would be so mad when he learned that we each got our own Grizzly. That's what he gets for his obsessive love of mindless video games.

After the bear, Hazel had been well fed and it was getting late. Our flight would be leaving very soon. We made a run for the house, and as we approached, the sounds of Alice's squeals of delight became clearer and clearer. No sooner did we enter the house and I kissed my husband goodbye, the four girls were on our way to the airport.

Esme, Alice, and I sighed quietly as we turned to watch our husbands wave us off from the porch. Hazel stared straight ahead, her eyes gleaming, and a smile beaming from ear to ear. "Milan, here we come!"


	4. PreFlight

**A/N – Hello and welcome back!! Sorry it has taken forever to get back to this; work is craaaaazyy. Here's a short lil chapter, just to keep you sated. More to come…like the actual freakin' shopping trip…soon! Thanks for hanging with this! I'm liking the story, so I hope you are too C:**

**Normal Disclaimer: I don't own any of the famous brands, not that I claim to, but really, just don't sue. Everything belongs to its rightful owner and all that…**

**Chapter Three**

(Hazel POV)

I bobbed up and down impatiently in my leather seat. At least the first class lounge was a fine place to wait if it was absolutely necessary to do so. I had previously rallied for our usual mode of travel- running. There was no wait when we ran; we started and stopped on our own schedule. It was the wait that killed me in airports. But as Alice reassured me, it was faster- waiting and all- to fly when traveling oversees. _We'll be shopping in no time at all_ I thought sourly to Alice's head, perfectly mimicking her little bird-voice. Well, it was easy for all of them to say. They hadn't been changed with the impatience and dwindling attention span of a tween. Even if I wanted to I couldn't control this impatience. I could be running right now…

In the days of the Concorde, flying actually had been my preferred option. Normal humans could not really comprehend our speed, having no reference point in the sky. But as my vampire vision allowed me to see the whole of the scenery passing below us, I could appreciate the tremendous speed with which we would accelerate. It was exhilarating. The Airbus 330 that we would be boarding soon paled in comparison. So it was that I warred with anxiety and restlessness in that first class lounge, ready to "get this show on the road" as Emmett so often said.

I felt Rosalie's hand come down over my left knee. The gesture probably looked gentle to the outsider, but she applied more pressure to my leg than a vise-grip in order to quiet my bouncing. I looked at her with a pleading look and was met by her patiently reproaching expression. _I can't sit still. I'm too excited, anyhow!_ I let her know silently.

"Yes, you absolutely can. Now calm yourself." Rosalie answered back in a speeding whisper that human ears would never catch. I didn't have to wonder at the source of her disappointment in my antsy behaviors. First, they were "unbecoming of a lady," which was drilled into my head on a daily basis. And second, most vampires were content to be absolutely still for long periods of time. (I had learned that from the tales of the ancient Romanian covens who had sat in stillness for thousands of years, waiting to reclaim their rightful thrones.) It disappointed Rosalie that the Law of Vampiric Stillness seemed to have swept right over me, leaving me untouched and ever bouncing. I knew she hated to think that I might be sub-par in any way.

I suspected that a vampire's ability to stay so still may be due to the unnatural maturity that immortal life supplies, and not simply the event of being a vampire. Thus it may logically follow that I, lacking the maturity of those with which I had to be compared, couldn't access the serenity of stillness. I was still trying to convince Carlisle on that theory.

Esme placed her right hand on mine- gently, in contrast to Rose's steely grip on me- and flashed a serene smile my way. "Breathe, my girl," She smiled at me again.

I took a deep breath in, letting it fill my lungs and then swoosh back out. Although the air didn't satisfy a need as it had when I was human, it was calming nonetheless. I closed my eyes, absorbing the atmosphere around me, and opened them when I was finally able to stop bouncing my legs around. Right in front of my eyes was a beaming Alice, ready to verbally pounce.

"So, are you excited?! Where do you want to go first?! We could do Roberto Cavalli, Gianfranco Ferre, Gucci, Alessandro Dell'Acqua, Missoni, Giambattista Valli-"

"Enough, Alice," Rosalie cut her off. "You'll rile her up again! Besides, we have an itinerary already, remember?"

"Fine." Alice pouted and stalked back to her seat.

We spent another hour and a half much like this. I would get too excited, Rose and Esme would attempt to calm me down, I would finally reach an acceptable level of excitement mixed with serenity, and then Alice would lose her ability to contain her excitement- ruining all of my hard-earned calm and effectively restarting the cycle. After what felt like an eternity, the flight crew called for first class Milan passengers to make their way to the gate, and the members of my family performed their usual stateside goodbye rituals. Rosalie was just hanging up the phone after calling Emmett to say goodbye, Alice's fingers moved furiously over the keys of her phone as she presumably professed her love for Jasper before our trip, and Esme signed her name in perfect script on a letter she had written to Carlisle and would leave with the concierge in the lounge as soon as we walked toward the gate.

Another 14 hours to go, but at least we'd be one step closer to the final destination. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough!


End file.
